[ STUFFS ]
[ON THE HOUSE]
SEAN GILBERT PHOTO
This teak lounge is a classic reborn and sells for $750, including cushions and covers, at Hawaiian Furniture and Lamp Co.
Not quite oldies
Local woodworker and furniture designer Sean Gilbert takes the effort out of searching for coveted carved furniture pieces from the '40s with his store, Hawaiian Furniture and Lamp Company."Relief carving is a lost art," said Gilbert, who designs the templates for the furniture himself. Relief-carved Hawaiian furniture from this time period is hard to come by, he said, and entails obsessive scouring of garage sales. Pieces stumbled upon usually require extensive refurbishing, or if not, come at high premium.
Gilbert said his inventory has the same feel as the furniture from the '40s but the lines of his anthurium, bird of paradise and bamboo motifs are "softer, more curved, unlike the hard, angular, sharp corners artisans used then."
He's able to keep costs down by producing the furniture in East Java, Indonesia, and uses teak, mango and acacia, "all beautiful woods, and all island favorites," he said. His business partner is based in Java, which eases quality control because he is able to select prime cuts of wood and chooses the grain.
The popular items at his showroom in the Aina Haina shopping center are the mango rocking chairs ($500), teak lounge ($750) and lamps ($160) topped with seagrass lamp shades. The teak living room sets retail for $4,200 and includes two lounge chairs, sofa, two end tables and a coffee table.
Hours are 11 a.m to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Call 373-7776.
Z-interiors goes to town
Blink, and the space at Ala Moana Center went from selling leather shoes to leather sofas.Z-interiors, which has an outlet near the old Salt Lake Costco, opened its second location in June at the spot once occupied by Nordstrom Shoes, becoming the only store in the mall that sells primarily furniture.
The inventory, which includes kidney-shaped glass coffee tables, and end tables with chrome accents reminiscent of an Eileen Gray classic, is "very affordably priced contemporary," said Linda Cezar, division manager and buyer. The 100 percent leather sofas starting at $877 are one of their best sellers, she said.
Clientele are primarily local and a "good mix of young adults and older people who like smaller-scale items," she added, although they do get inquiries for shipping to the mainland.
"The furniture is very good for condo living," Cezar said, "because it's small-scale furniture with big-impact design."
For now, keep your eyes wide open. Blink again later this year and something else will most likely be in that spot. The Ala Moana Z-interiors, a division of C.S. Wo, is a temporary location. They plan to relocate to a yet-undisclosed spot in town toward year's end and will maintain both that and the Salt Lake store, Cezar said.
Store hours are 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call 947-3216.
'Remodel it Right'
Don't start knocking down walls before checking out the "Remodel It right" seminar, taking place noon to 2 p.m., July 27 at Windward Mall Center Stage.Remodeling vendors will also stage a mini-expo from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with experts offering tips on financing and hiring an architect, remodeler or landscaper. Representatives from the city Department of Planning & Permitting and state Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs will talk about permits and other issues involving contractors.
Registration recommended. Call Sonya Kimura at the Building Industry Association, 847-4666, Ext. 206, or register online at www.bia-hawaii.com.
The next seminar will be held Aug. 24 at Pearlridge Mall, Uptown Center Stage, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. expo.
Home Depot online
Home Depot now offers online help for kitchen and bath remodeling at www.homedepot.com/designcenter. This new service allows customers to do online research about products and allows sales associates to assist them more efficiently when customers come to the store with their plans.With the point and click of a mouse, customers can change wall color, cabinet designs and more to help them visualize their remodeling project. The Web site allows for 9,500 products in combinations to select from more than 75 kitchens and bathrooms. When they are done creating their perfect virtual project, they take their printout of product summaries to the store where a kitchen and bath sales associate will help them with their remodeling needs.
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[DA KINE]
Book 'em
The Friends of the Library of Hawaii hosts its 55th annual book sale for a week beginning tomorrow, with more than 70 tons of old-school media -- books, magazines, records, audio and video cassette tapes -- offered for sale to benefit the Hawaii State Public Library System.The event takes place at the McKinley High School Cafeteria from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily tomorrow through July 12, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 13. Admission is free, but bring your checkbook for the inevitable.
Patient types might hold out for better prices, at the risk of losing some prizes. As usual, there will be special sales dates as follows: selected hardcover fiction and records at half price Monday; seniors 60 and older receive a 25 percent discount Tuesday; Friends members receive a 50 percent discount Wednesday; flash your Hawaii State Public Library card and receive a 25 percent discount Thursday; books at half price July 12; all remaining items 50 cents (paperbacks at two for 50 cents) on July 13.
The first Friends book sale was held in 1947 on the front lawn of the "Aracadia," a private home on Punahou Street, and raised $400. Last year's sale raised $108,900, distributed to 50 public libraries statewide.
For more information, call 536-4174.
Feed your mind
Hawaii Muslim Council member Saleem Ahmed's new book "Islam: Beyond Veil and Holy Way -- Islamic Teachings and Muslim Practices with Biblical Comparisons" will be unveiled with a free panel discussion at 7 p.m. tomorrow at Punahou School's Luke Auditorium.The panelists are University of Hawaii ethnic studies professor Ibrahim Aoude, entrepreneur Saba Usman and pastor Vaughn Beckman of First Christian Church.
Among the questions to be discussed: "Is Islam a sexist religion?" "Does Islam promote terrorism?" "Why do some Muslims hate America"? and "Where do we go from here?"
A program of cultural dances will follow the discussion. For more information, call 371-9360.
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